Contents

Tansey progressed through the Centre of Excellence at Stockport County after joining them at age thirteen,[4][5] and made his first-team debut in a 1–0 away win against Macclesfield Town in the Football League Trophy in October 2006.[6] He went on to make five appearances during the 2006–07 season,[7] including his first league appearance, starting in a 2–1 home defeat to Milton Keynes Dons.[8]
Ahead of the following season, Tansey, along with fellow Stockport player Ryan Crowther, were invited to travel to Milan with Liverpool's youth team to play in an arranged youth tournament.[4] Liverpool agreed a deal with Stockport for both players, subject to satisfactory performances at the tournament.[4][9] After the tournament, Liverpool wished to sign both players, although Tansey declined Liverpool's contract offer as he stated he wished to develop playing first-team football, as opposed to playing in Liverpool's youth side on a weekly basis.[4][10] He was also strongly linked with a move to Charlton Athletic,[11] but eventually signed a new two-year deal with Stockport in August 2007.[11] He made 16 appearances for the club during the 2007–08 season,[12] before joining Conference National side Altrincham on loan in March 2008.[13] This deal ran until the end of the season.[13] He made his Altrincham debut in a 1–1 draw against promoting-chasing Torquay United a day after joining the club,[14] and went on to make five appearances before returning to Stockport.[12]

Tansey struggled for first-team opportunities during the first half of the 2008–09 season,[15] with Stockport now plying their trade in League One following their promotion the previous season.[16] His first appearance of the season came as a 60th minute substitute in a 5–0 win over Yeovil Town in the FA Cup in November 2008.[15] He featured thirteen times during the season,[15] scoring his first professional goal, a 25-yard free-kick, in a 2–1 home defeat against Walsall on 13 April 2009.[17] The 2009–10 campaign turned out to be Tansey's first season of regular football, playing 37 times in all competitions, and scoring twice[18] — including a "stunning 30-yard drive" in a 2–1 win over Leyton Orient.[19] Financial difficulties at the club meant that Stockport were forced to sell a lot of players throughout the season, and the club were ultimately relegated back to League Two.[20]

Despite the wholesale changes over the summer, Tansey remained at Stockport for the 2010–11 season, playing in the club's first match of the campaign, a 1–1 draw against Southend United.[21] He scored his first goal of the season in an FA Cup tie away at Peterborough United in November 2010, hitting a late consolation strike from 30-yards as Stockport lost 4–1.[22] Four days later, on 20 November, he scored a late 25-yard equaliser against Torquay United at Edgeley Park.[23] This was followed by successive braces in December 2010; with Tansey scoring twice to salvage a point against Crewe Alexandra,[24] and then netting two late goals as Stockport beat relegation rivals Barnet at Underhill.[25] His impressive performances throughout the month meant that he won the League Two Player of the Month Award.[26] He went on to score a further five times in the club's last nine league games,[27][28][29][30] although he could not prevent the club's relegation to the Conference National.[31] He finished the season as Stockport's top goalscorer with eleven goals in 41 games.[32] He also scored Stockport's last goal in the Football League, a penalty in the tenth minute of added time in a 1–1 home draw with Cheltenham Town.[33] During his six years at Stockport, Tansey made 112 appearances, scoring fourteen times.[2]

Despite being offered a new one-year deal at Stockport,[34] Tansey left the club in favour of a move to SPL side Inverness Caledonian Thistle, officially signing on a free transfer in June 2011.[35][36] He made his debut against Motherwell at Fir Park on 23 July 2011, playing the whole match in a 3–0 loss.[37] Tansey opened his goalscoring account for Inverness two weeks later, on 6 August 2011, netting twice as Inverness drew 3–3 away at Dunfermline Athletic.[38] In November 2011, Tansey was sent-off in a 2–0 home loss against Celtic. He was "controversially ordered off for leading with an arm in an aerial challenge", but contact was described as "minimal".[39] The decision left Inverness manager Terry Butcher "furious" — "There's no way it's a red card. If anything it is assault by fingernail".[40] Inverness opted to appeal against the sending off, and the red card was later rescinded with referee Stephen O'Reilly admitting he had "made a mistake".[41] He went on to score in games against Dunfermline and Hibernian respectively, taking his league goal tally for the season to four.[42][43] Tansey scored a free-kick on the last day of the season, in a 2–0 home victory over Hibernian,[44] in what was ultimately his last game for the club.[44] During his one season at Inverness, he played 39 times, scoring five goals.[45]

In May 2012, Tansey rejected a contract extension at Inverness, and opted to join League One side Stevenage, signing a three-year deal with the club.[46][47] He made his debut for Stevenage in the club's 3–1 home victory over AFC Wimbledon in the League Cup on 14 August 2012, playing the first 70 minutes of the match.[48] Tansey scored his first goal for the club in his ninth appearance, scoring with a 30-yard effort in a 3–1 win over Walsall at Broadhall Way on 18 September.[49] He then went on to score in Stevenage's next two home games; scoring with a long-range strike in a 2–2 draw against Bury,[50] before netting the only goal of the game courtesy of a curling free-kick in a 1–0 win over Scunthorpe United.[51]

A month later, Tansey scored another long-range strike, this time in Stevenage's 4–1 loss to Preston North End, briefly tying the game in the first-half after the ball had dropped to him on the edge of the area.[52] A goal in the club's 1–1 away draw with Bournemouth on 20 November 2012 took his goal tally to five for the season.[53] Just four days later, he scored with a "looping shot" in injury-time as Stevenage came from a goal down to draw 1–1 at home against Tranmere Rovers.[54] Shortly after featuring in the club's defeat to Tranmere Rovers in March 2013,[55] Tansey had a hernia operation, an injury that ruled him out of first-team action for a month.[56] He returned as a late second-half substitute in Stevenage's last game of the season, a 2–0 loss to Milton Keynes Dons on 27 April 2013.[57] Tansey made 40 appearances during his first season with the club, scoring six times.[58]

Ahead of the 2013–14 campaign, Tansey scored in pre-season friendly match, a 2–0 victory against a Queens Park Rangers XI at Broadhall Way..[59] He then opened the league season by scoring one goal and assisting another in Stevenage's 4–3 home loss to Oldham Athletic.[60] Three weeks later on 31 August 2013, Tansey scored his second goal of the season – a free kick – in a 1–1 draw against Bradford City.[61] Then, on 21 September 2013, Tansey scored his third goal of the season, converting a penalty, in a 3–1 loss against Carlisle United.[62] In all games at Stevenage, Tansey made sixty-two appearance and scored nine times.[63]

On 17 January 2014, Tansey re-signed for Inverness Caledonian Thistle on an 18-month deal.[64] Upon returning to Inverness, Tansey stated that he rejoined the club because of his motivation to help them play in Europe.[65] After a substitute appearance against Aberdeen, he made his starting debut against Hearts in the League Cup semi-final where he opened the scoring with a thunderous 25-yard-strike.[66] In the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup, in a 5–0 loss to Dundee United, Tansey was sent-off after lunging at Paul Paton.[67] After being suspended for the game against Hibernian, it was confirmed that Tansey was eligible to play in the final of the Scottish League Cup.[68]
In the final against Aberdeen, Tansey played the whole 90 minutes plus extra time before the game eventually reached a penalty shoot-out, and then went to 'sudden death.' Aberdeen won the match and the Cup after Tansey, along with Billy McKay, missed their penalties in the shoot-out.[69]

Tansey scored his first league goal, of his second spell at Inverness, in a 2–2 draw against St. Mirren on 29 March 2014.[70] He then scored his second goal in the last game of the season, a 2–0 win over St. Johnstone.[71]

At the start of the 2014–15 season, Tansey was a regular starter for the first team. He scored his first goal of the campaign during a 2–0 win over Motherwell.[72]
At the beginning of January 2015, Tansey signed an extension to his contract, keeping him at Inverness until the end of May 2017.[73]